1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a powered crimping tool used to secure a cap onto a bottle or vial. The powered tool has a housing portion which the user holds and includes switches for the user to control the crimping action. The crimping action results from a motor causing a plunger to move downward, thereby initially closing a plurality of jaws and continuing downward to cooperate with the jaws to secure the cap on the bottle or vial. Means are provided to adjust the starting point of the crimping cycle or the plunger upper limit, as well as the finishing point of the crimping cycle or the plunger lower limit.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Some bottles or vials to contain liquid samples or other laboratory materials have an opening thereinto which includes a lip onto which a cap is crimped to seal the bottle or vial. In general, for example, the cap can be aluminum or steel, with sample diameters of from about 8 mm to about 22 mm, or greater. Typically the cap has a cylindrical portion which fits over the bottle lip and is then crimped thereunder; the cap has a top with a circular opening therein; the inside of the cap contains a rubber circular portion next to the cap and a Teflon circular portion next to the bottle, although many variations are known. In use, a sample is placed into the bottle or vial and a cap is placed thereon. A crimping tool is then employed to crimp the cap onto the bottle. When a portion of the sample is to be removed, a syringe is inserted through the rubber and Teflon circular portions and the desired amount of the sample is removed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,579,626, to Applicant Thomas, incorporated herein by reference, teaches a manually operated crimping tool for securing a cap onto a bottle or vial. That invention teaches the use of jaws 70 and a manually driven plunger 50 which have a similar vertically downward crimping movement to the instant invention without the adjustment means for the crimping cycle. That reference teaches horizontal handle movement resulting in vertical plunger movement.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,987,722, to Koebbeman, teaches a hand-held bottle cap crimper having a pair of horizontal crimping handles, one upper fixed handle and one lower lever handle which moves about a single pivot point to move a crimper, the pivot point being between jaws and the handles so that the tool functions in a see saw fashion.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,745,729, to Bethge et al., teaches a container closing apparatus used to put on a screw cap. U.S. Pat. No. 3,998,032, to Koebbeman, teaches a hand-held bottle cap crimper having a pair of horizontal crimping handles, one lower fixed handle and one upper lever handle which moves about a single pivot point to move a crimper, the jaws being between the pivot point and the handles.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,332,211, to Koll et al., teaches a cap applying apparatus. U.S. Pat. No. 3,217,519, to Demler, teaches a coaxial crimping tool. U.S. Pat. No. 2,415,896, to Marsh et al., a cap applying implement.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,327,697, to Kent, teaches a chuck for a bottle capper. U.S. Pat. No. 3,771,284, to Boeckmann et al., teaches a capping apparatus. Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 3,747,441, to Amtsberg et al., teaches a pneumatic tool having combined nut running and crimping mechanism.